Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 16.djvu/91

* PITRI. 67 PITT. ancestors of the Rods, those wlio were the an- cestors of the demons, and those from whom the four castes proceeded. The Puranas divided the manes generally into seven classes, three of which are without form, or composed of intellectual, not elementary substance, and assume what forms they please, while the four other classes are corporeal. PIT RIVER INDIANS. A group of small tribes, at present supposed to constitute a dis- tinct liufruistic stock, which Hale in 1840 desig- nated as the Palaihnihan. occupying the volcanic mountainous region along Pit River, a head stream of the Sacramento, in northeastern Cali- fornia. From their custom, not known among other California tribes, of digging deep pitfalls for trapping deer, the river is said to obtain its name. The pitfalls, which were dug along deer trails and at watering places on the river, caused so many losses of cattle to the early settlers that tlie Indians were finally compelled to abandon the practice. The northern tribes of the group were of very low type, mentally and physically, due largely to the thinning out of the best speci- mens by the constant raids of the slave-hunting Modoc, but those lower down tlie stream were much superior, and were extremely warlike and hostile until crushed by (General Crook. The position of woman was very low. When twins were born one was usually destroyed. Xotwith- standing all this, they had strong affections and were extremely kind to the helpless. Cremation was the most common funeral method. They number now about 1100, of whom a few families are on Round Valley reservation, California, whither they were deported after one of the early wars; 80 persons, former captives and slaves of the Modoc, are on Klamath reservation, Oregon; and the main body, about 1000 in number, are still roaming about Pit River, having never come under agency control, PITSCOT'TIE, Robert Lindsay of ( c. 1.500- cOo). A Scottish chronicler, born at Pitscottie, Ceres Parish, Fife. Connected with the noble fam- ily of Lindsays, he was a landowner in his native place, and chiefly is remembered for his Chron- icles of Scotland, which cover a little-known period — the reigns of James II. and III. Their value rests not in accuracy, but in picturesque- ness of stj-le and dialect, and in the description of people and events, which are interesting, if not accurate. Sir Walter Scott in ilarniion (the vision that appeared to .James 1. before his march to Flodden), and Mrs. Oliphant in Roi/al Edinburgh (1891), are indebted to Pitscottie's History, which was first printed in 1728, and a better edition of which was prepared by G. Dalyell in two volumes in 1814. PITT, Wir.OAM. first Earl of Chatham (HOS- TS). A famous English statesman, often referred to as the elder Pitt. He was born in West- minster on Xoveniber 1.5. 1708, and was edu- cated at Eton and Trinity College, Oxford, but he never took a degree, for he was afflicted with gout from an early age, and was advised to travel, which he did for a short time. Neverthe- less the disease never left him. and throughout life it remained a very serious hindrance. In 1731 he became a cornet in the army, and in 1735 entered Parliament for Old Sarum. the typical example of the 'rotten' boroughs. Soon after entering Parliament he was dismissed from the army for supporting Frederick, Prince of Wales, in his course of opposition to King George II., and his biting satire made him also very obnoxious to the powerful minister, Robert Walpole. Almost from the very beginning Pitt was a power among the Commons on account of his oratorical abilities, and he contributed much to bringing about the downfall of Walpole in 1742. Thereafter he opposed the foreign policy of Carteret, especially the practice of paying subsidies to the Continental powers. His policy became very popular among the people; the Duchess of Marlborough left him in 1744 a legacy of £10,000, and in 1765 Sir William Pyn- sent, an eccentric gentleman, struck also with admiration for Pitt's patriotism, left him his whole estate. Late in 1744 some of Pitfs asso- ciates obtained scats in the Cabinet of Pelham, but the King had not yet forgiven Pitt. In 174G the Government resigned, but shortly resumed power, and Pitt was appointed joint Vice-Treas- urer of Ireland, and in the same j'ear he was given the lucrative olFice of paymaster-general of the forces, and became a member of the Prix-y Council. At this time he received great praise for declining the special emoluments which usually went with the position of paymaster-general. In 1755, when Henry Fo.x (afterwards Lord Hol- land) was made Secretary of State, Pitt vigor- ously opposed the foreign policj- of the Newcastle Cabinet, and as a consequence he was dismissed from office, ileanwhile the Seven Years' War (q.v. ) had begim, and though Frederick the Great (q.v.) was gaining victories on the Con- tinent, the English campaigns in America and elsewhere were unsuccessful. Hence in 175G the King had to call upon Pitt, who had become the popular idol, to carry on the Government. A new Cabinet was formed of which the Duke of Devonshire was the nominal Prime Minister, but all real power was vested in Pitt. The latter immediately began vigorous measures to carry on the war. but the King did not give him loyal support and finally dismissed him on April C, 1757. He had, however, to recall him almost immediately in response to the demands of the nation, and Pitt was given full control of foreign and military affairs. Pitt's war policy was characterized by unusual vigor and sagacity. French armies were defeated everywhere — in India, in Africa, in Canada, on the Rhine — and French fleets disappeared from the seas. Pitt was practically absolute ruler of Britain, and the populace bestowed on him the title of the 'Great Commoner,' A change came, however, with the accession of George III. in 17G0. Pitt was forced to take Lord Bute into the Cabinet, and was finally compelled to resign on October 5, 1761. As some recompense for his important services, Pitt received a pension of £3(jOO a year, and to his wife, sister of CJeorge Grenville (q.v. ), was given the title of Baroness Chatham. Until 1766 Pitt remained out of office, occasionally employing his eloquence to defeat obnoxious measures of the Government, and he opposed vigorously the various acts to tax the American colonists. On July 30, 1776. Pitt suc- ceeded in forming a new Ministry to succeed the Rockingham Cabinet, and. as his health was very poor, he took the sinecure office of Privy Seal, and was created Viscount Pitt and Earl of Chatham. His acceptance of the peerage was very unpopu- lar, and he also lost considerable influence, because